Alginate dressings are wound coverings made from a polymer derived from seaweed. Such dressings maintain a moist microenvironment that promotes healing. They can be biodegradable and have been successfully used for variety of secreting lesions. The dressing limits accumulation of wound secretions and minimizes bacterial contamination.
One drawback of alginate that limits the use of alginate dressing is its fabrication process. In order to prefabricate the bandage, it is cross-linked in advance and stored at room temperature, thus making it incompatible with sensitive or labile drugs, cells, or proteins that are prone to degradation under room temperature conditions.